Volunteer Spotlight: Aaron Rice

Horizons in Hemophilia, January 2011 

By Kim Wilson, Camp and Activities Coordinator

Aaron Rice was a first-time Camp Wannaklot volunteer in 2010.  He proved to be one of the most enthusiastic, helpful, and inspiring first-year counselors I’ve worked with in my time as director of Camp Wannaklot.  I would love to introduce you to one of Camp Wannaklot’s best recruits of 2010.  Aaron is an employee of SunTrust Bank.  At the beginning of 2010, SunTrust formalized their commitment to community service by providing each employee with 16 hours of paid time off to be used for non-profit work.  

Aaron had been interested for quite some time in volunteering at Camp Twin Lakes because he has been blessed with three very healthy children, ages 19, 16 and 11.  He felt he should give back to those who were not so lucky.  Somehow he had never been able to make the time commitment. SunTrust’s commitment to the community seemed like a sign to him, so he looked into the volunteer opportunities posted on an internal SunTrust site and saw the ad to volunteer at Camp Wannaklot.  When he saw it was a camp for a disorder that he knew very little about, he was even more intrigued.

Upon arrival at camp, Aaron was very nervous that he did not know enough about hemophilia and that he might be in over his head.  Reflecting on his experience, he said, “Thankfully there are a lot of very knowledgeable people involved with Camp Wannaklot, so my lack of knowledge was not an issue.  The Camp Twin Lakes staff and the Camp Wannaklot volunteers were an impressive lot; confident, competent, and unbelievably friendly.   The medical staff in particular were both professional and loving.”

I asked Aaron, “As a first time Camp Wannaklot counselor, how did the week live up to your expectations?”  He said, “I thought I would be tired and I was; I thought I would have fun and I did; I thought I would be inspired and I was.”  His advice for future first-time camp counselors, “seek out someone who has volunteered before to get the broad outlines of how it will go and then just open yourself up to the experience.  Oh, and get a lot of sleep the week before you go.” 

I asked Aaron what was unexpected about his camp experience.  He answered, “I definitely think I expected it to be more obvious that the campers had some malady – boy, did they disabuse me of that thought rather quickly.  It was very interesting that at times these young men were so much like my son and his friends that I thought ‘Why do they need a special camp?’ and then one of them would recount the stigma that having their particular disorder placed on them and the rough treatment that young people can receive for ‘being different’ and I realized what a special experience Camp Wannaklot is for the campers.  It really is a haven from the rest of the world and a chance to not be different from the crowd.”

Aaron’s most memorable moment at camp?  “I think the lasting memory will be a conversation I had with one of my campers about the impact his disease has on his thinking about his future.  A gifted musician and actor, he indicated that he would not be able to fully pursue his dream because the life of an entertainer does not come with good insurance and the cost of living with hemophilia can be exorbitant.   It really struck me that a disease could change the way a fifteen year old dreams about his or her future.  The possibilities should be endless at fifteen and yet the reality is that for these campers pragmatism starts young.”

There are certainly some stories that you just had to be at camp to understand.  Aaron’s cabin of campers developed a love affair with bacon and all of the different ways bacon can be enjoyed that inspired cheers and songs during camp.  So, I had to ask, “We know you love bacon… any other favorite foods that might inspire a cabin of campers in the future?”  His answer, “Pretty much bacon is it, but I think we are only at the tip of iceberg in terms of the possibilities for bacon.  Bacon may be the most misunderstood food product ever.  Then again maybe this summer we will move on to green beans or string cheese.  You never know.”

Aaron says he would definitely encourage his friends to volunteer at Camp Wannaklot because “it is a wonderful experience.  I hope more companies do like SunTrust and provide the impetus for their employees to make giving back to their community part of their lives.”

Aaron also loves to hike and spend time with his dog and cat.  He is an avid reader and a movie buff to the extreme.  He also is a devoted bicycler who has participated in fund raisers for Multiple Sclerosis for the past few years.  In addition to volunteering for Camp Wannaklot 2011, Aaron is looking forward to participating in the Spin for Kids ride on the Camp Wannaklot team at Camp Twin Lakes in the fall. If you are interested in learning more about volunteering with HoG, please visit the Volunteer Opportunities webpage.